In the second quarter of 2015, unemployment rates were substantially higher for Black youth than for white and Latino youth. For instance, 16.6% of Black youth between the ages of 20 and 24 were unemployed, compared with 10.3% of Latino youth and 8.5% of white youth in the same age group.

Young Black women report experiencing discrimination in the workplace based on race and/or gender at considerably higher rates (35.6%) than white women (13.9%) and Latinas (21.2%).

In 2013, 32% of Black youth 18 to 24 years of age lived below the poverty line, compared with 17% of white youth and 21% of Latino youth in this age group.

Among students entering high school in the 2011-2012 school year, only 68% of Black youth were expected to graduate within four years, compared with 76% of Latino youth and 85% of white youth.

In recent years, gun-related homicides among Black youth are more than 17 times higher than for white youth and nearly four times higher than for Latino youth.

Black and Latino youth were much more likely to say they were “very” or “somewhat” afraid of gun violence: 41.2% and 42.8% respectively, compared with 15.6% of white youth.

In 2013, 71.4% of young Black adults were covered by health insurance, compared with 59.5% of young Latino adults and 79.1% of young white adults.

Incarceration rates in 2013 among young Black men 18 and 19 years of age were seven times higher than they were for young white men and more than twice as high as for Latino men in the same age group.

More than half (54.4%) of Black youth report that they or someone they know was harassed by or experienced violence from the police, compared with 32.8% of white youth and 24.8% of Latino youth.

Black millennials are politically engaged, but politicians, political parties, and organizations must commit their attention, time, and resources to ensure their political participation.

Black youth have voted at higher rates than white youth in the last two presidential elections: 52.3% for Black youth vs. 48.3% for whites in 2008 and 45.9% vs. 41.4% in 2012.

Nearly 40 percent of young Black (37.3%) and white (36.1%) voters and 53.6% of young Latino voters in the 2012 election were voting for the first time.

Almost three-fourths of young Black adults said they had been asked for voter identification: 72.9% of young Black reported this, a disproportionately high rate compared with young whites (50.8%) and Latinos (60.8%).

President Obama’s success in winning the youth vote in 2012 was due largely to his extremely high levels of support from young people of color, including support from 95.8% of young Black voters and 76.3% of young Latino voters. Less than half (44.7%) of young white voters supported Obama.
Black millennials have distinct opinions on issues including employment policy, health policy, immigration and LGBT issues.

Overwhelming majorities of Black (80.5%) and Latino (75.9%) youth support increasing the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 per hour, compared with 61.2% of white youth.

Large majorities of young Blacks (76.2%) and Latinos (69.6%) reported that it is more important to control gun ownership than to protect the rights of gun owners. In contrast, 57.2% of white youth said that it is more important to protect the rights of gun owners.

More than 81.8% of Black youth approved of the Affordable Care Act, compared with 51.9% of Latino youth and 34% of white youth.

While Black (77.5%) and Latino (89.4%) youth support reforming immigration with a path to citizenship at much higher rates than white youth (67.1%), white (58.7%) and Black (52%) youth support the deportation of undocumented immigrants at substantially higher rates than Latino (27.1%) youth.

More than a third (35%) of Black youth identified HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment as the single most important issue for LGBT organizations to address, while white youth prioritized same-sex marriage (21.3%) and Latino youth (20.1%) said that bullying was the most important issue for the LGBT agenda.

Overwhelming majorities of Black (80.5%) and Latino (75.9%) youth support increasing the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 per hour, compared with 61.2% of white youth.

Large majorities of young Blacks (76.2%) and Latinos (69.6%) reported that it is more important to control gun ownership than to protect the rights of gun owners. In contrast, 57.2% of white youth said that it is more important to protect the rights of gun owners.

More than 81.8% of Black youth approved of the Affordable Care Act, compared with 51.9% of Latino youth and 34% of white youth.

While Black (77.5%) and Latino (89.4%) youth support reforming immigration with a path to citizenship at much higher rates than white youth (67.1%), white (58.7%) and Black (52%) youth support the deportation of undocumented immigrants at substantially higher rates than Latino (27.1%) youth.

More than a third (35%) of Black youth identified HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment as the single most important issue for LGBT organizations to address, while white youth prioritized same-sex marriage (21.3%) and Latino youth (20.1%) said that bullying was the most important issue for the LGBT agenda.”

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